Lad who scored 447 marks among 6 ‘thugs’ killed in Riruta

February 26, 2016 6:24 pm

Area residents gather outside the room where the young boy spent the night before he was lynched together with the thugs/MIKE KARIUKI

By JOSEPH MURAYA, NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 26 – One of the suspects killed in Riruta on Friday morning was a high school student who scored an impressive 447 marks in the 2014 KCPE examinations.

The suspect, according to officials of Maisha Poa, a Non-Governmental Organisation dealing with street children is an orphan who dropped out of school due to lack of school fees, but was to resume studies this year.

Overview

David Njoroge, the landlord of the houses where one of the suspected thugs was residing described his tenant, who was among those killed as "well mannered. The problem with him was the bad company."

A pistol and four rounds of ammunition were recovered during the morning incident.

The official who exclusively spoke to Capital FM News on condition of anonymity says she had high hopes that he would become a great person in the future.

“Felix comes from Western Kenya and is an orphan. He was to resume studies this year,” she said. “The devil wants to steal all our investments. Why did they have to die?”

She admits that some of those killed may have been engaging in criminal activities.

“They have been rejected and they could have learnt these behaviours from the streets,” she said. “But we were trying to reform them.”

Another suspect, the son of a single mother from Kiambu County was to join high school this weekend.

“I am very sad. Kamau had to die,” she said this time receiving a call from her seniors. “Kamau is no more… Felix too is gone,” I overheard as I eavesdropped.

She went ahead to show the Capital FM News crew the photos of most of those who were killed saying, “we used to go to base (in the streets where they stay) and give them food.”

The organisation has been trying to reform street children most of who were abandoned by their families.

“Most of them are from single parents mothers who do no not want them back,” she said.

The six were allegedly found breaking into a shop at Kabiria area and while one was shot dead by police, the rest were stoned to death in a house belonging to one of the suspects.

Some of the residents who spoke to Capital FM News condemned the killings, saying they should have been arrested to face justice.

“Why should they kill such young boys?” one of the residents of Kabiria only identified as Hamisi posed.

“They would have allowed police to do their job. Killing them was not a solution to our security challenges.”

Others attributed insecurity experienced in the area mostly of thugs breaking into shops and various homes to unemployment.

“We have so many youths who are not working…they need money to buy food and clothes and maybe that’s why they steal. That cannot be an excuse though,” one of the victims of crime in the area said.